Welcome to the 8th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2024/2025 Winter CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Spinach
• Tatsoi Rapini – Timing spring planted crops for winter shares is tricky given the variations in weather and the bi-weekly harvest schedule. This tatsoi is already bolting some thanks to the recent warm weather, but it’s still good eating. We’ll usually saute a bit or throw it directly into ramen to wilt.
• Lacinato Kale Rapini – The brassicas are going to flower, which means rapini season! Treat these shoots and leaves like kale or broccoli. Also note, rapini is also known as raab or rabe in some recipes.
• Purple Sprouting Broccoli – We know we’ve turned the corner on winter when the PSB shows up. If you’re new to this one, just treat it like broccoli but eat the stems and leaves too.
• Overwintered Cauliflower
• Red Cabbage
• Kalettes – These are a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. Pop the kale sprouts off the stalk and enjoy them in your favorite kale/Brussels recipes. We usually just cut the sprouts in half, toss with a little oil/salt/pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for ~20 minutes, just like Brussels. Note that some of these stalks have bonus kalette rapini too! Delicious! And yes, they do resemble shrubbery.
• Beets
• Purple Daikon Radishes
• Strawberry Paw Potatoes – Red on the outside, white on the inside, good for boiling, baking, and roasting.
• Leeks
• Yellow & Red Onions
• Garlic – This is the point in the winter that I start to remind you to use up your garlic and onions. It may not feel like it everyday, but we’re headed toward spring and these guys want to sprout. They’re generally still edible if you see a small green sprout but eat ’em up sooner than later.
• Wolverine’s Orca Dry Beans – A lovely, creamy bean with a past. Use as you would other dry beans.
• Dried Apples – These are organic apples we purchased through the produce store down the road, 4 Seasons Farmers Market. We dried them here at the farm.

It’s been feeling awfully spring-y around here lately. The days have been lengthening and with the increased daylight we’re seeing the arrival of rapini season. Overwintered plants are beginning to head towards flowering and are a tasty seasonal treat. This week we’re sharing kale rapini but we’re beginning to see some cabbage (as pictured above) and collard rapini out there too. Fingers crossed we’ll get to share some of those varieties with you in the remaining future Winter CSA shares.

When we plant our winter kale, sprouting broccoli, and cauliflower in August we’re also looking ahead to the unknowns of the winter weather. We’ve been lucky this time around and the weather hasn’t been too cold to kill off these hardy plants out in the field. That means copious quantities of these tasty vegetables are headed your way this week!

While the rain continued for much of the past couple of weeks we kept busy with some inside work including weeding spinach and carrots and transplanting peas. We used the intermittent dry days to get the last of the carrots harvested and get cabbage out of the field before it bolts into rapini. The very warm weather we’ve had the past couple of days has made for an unusual March harvest in short sleeves this week but it looks like we’ll be back to the rain soon enough.

On another note, we’re hoping to have our tractor returning from the mechanic next week if all goes well. Unfortunately one of the repairs we were looking forward to wasn’t possible due to time and money constraints but it sure will be nice to have it back nonetheless. Hopefully soon enough we’ll be able to get greenhouses prepped for tomatoes and other spring crops, some mowing done, and will be watching the weather forecast for a break in the rain long enough to prep beds outside and get our first field plantings in the ground.

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you here again in two weeks!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Mustard Roasted Cauliflower

1 large head of cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 large shallot, minced
¹/₃ cup shelled pistachios, raw and unsalted
¹/₃ cup green olives
Sea salt and black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 425° F.
2. Prepare the vinaigrette. Whisk together the shallots, Dijon mustard, grainy mustard, and white balsamic vinegar. Let the vinaigrette sit for at least 15 minutes, preferably while the cauliflower is roasting.
3. Optional move: Dry roast the pistachios for 5 to 7 minutes or so in the oven or in a skillet over medium-low heat. (I prefer to eat them raw).
4. Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets and peel and slice the stem into 1-inch pieces. Spread the cauliflower out evenly on a large baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring and rotating the pan halfway.
5. Whisk the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into the vinaigrette and toss with the cauliflower as soon as it comes out of the oven. (It’s important to dress the cauliflower while it is still warm.) Add the pistachios and green olives and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve immediately.
6. Note: I used two heads of cauliflower for the photos and doubled the vinaigrette — always an option if you’re serving a crowd. If you do not have white balsamic vinegar, substitute red wine or champagne vinegar. For a sweeter dish, omit the grainy mustard and the green olives.

From Food52.com by Maja Lukic – Veggies & Gin, https://food52.com/recipes/24898-mustard-roasted-cauliflower

Broccoli Rabe, Potato, and Rosemary Pizza

• Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza
• 2 uncooked pizza crusts (recipe below)
• 1 large yukon gold potato, very thinly sliced
• Salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• ¹/₂ pound broccoli rabe, washed, ends trimmed (or kale rapini or purple sprouting broccoli)
• 1 large garlic clove, minced, plus 2 garlic cloves lightly smashed but still intact
• ¹/₄ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
• ¹/₂ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Rosemary sprigs for garnish

• Pizza Dough Recipe
• 2 teaspoons dry yeast
• ¹/₂ cup lukewarm water
• 3 ¹/₂ cups all-purpose flour
• ¹/₄ cup semolina flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ³/₄ cup cold water
• ¹/₄ cup olive oil

Broccoli Rabe, Potato and Rosemary Pizza

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Arrange potatoes in one layer on a baking tray. Bake until edges begin to turn golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Increase oven temperature to 475 F.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli rabe and blanch 30 seconds; drain. Plunge broccoli rabe into a bowl of ice water. Cool and drain again. Lay in one layer on a kitchen towel to thoroughly dry. Cut in 2″ pieces.
4. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté briefly, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté one minute. Remove from heat. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
5. Assemble pizzas: Lightly brush pizza crusts with olive oil. Rub all over with smashed garlic cloves.
6. Arrange one layer mozzarella cheese over crusts. Top with one layer of potatoes and broccoli rabe. Sprinkle one tablespoon rosemary over each crust. Top with grated Pecorino cheese.
7. Bake on pizza stone or on tray on lowest rack in oven until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.
8. Before serving, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with fresh rosemary leaves and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

Pizza Dough Recipe

1. Stir yeast and lukewarm water together in a bowl. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and semolina. Mix well. Let sit until bubbly, about 30 minutes.
2. Combine remaining flour and salt in another bowl. Add to yeast with cold water and olive oil. Mix well to form a dough.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead with hands until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Or use a mixer with a dough hook, and knead about 5 minutes.
4. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. Punch dough down, and let rise another 45 minutes.
5. Divide dough into 2 equal disks (or 4 if you would like small pizzas.) Let rest 30 minutes before shaping. Lightly flour a work surface. Using your fingers or heels of your hands, stretch the disks out to 10″ shapes.

From Food52.com by TasteFood, https://food52.com/recipes/2611-broccoli-rabe-potato-and-rosemary-pizza

Vegetarian Reuben

4 slices rye or pumpernickel bread
4 slices Swiss cheese (lacey, baby, or regular)
10 to 15 button mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
¹/₄ head red cabbage (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
¹/₄ cup apple cider vinegar
1 pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 serving unsalted butter, for spreading
1 splash Olive oil

1. The first step in assembing this grilled cheese is to prepare all your ingredients. Heat two saute pans over medium heat. Add some olive oil to each pan. In one pan, add the mushrooms, garlic, and black pepper. Let cook for 5 minutes.
2. In the second pan, add the red cabbage, salt, and pepper and let cook in oil for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar and horseradish and let cook for 5 more minutes.
3. While both the mushrooms and cabbage are cooking, mix up the dressing. Combine mayonnaise, Dijon, and relish in a small bowl.
4. Butter one side of 2 pieces of bread generously. On the other side of the buttered pieces of bread, spread the dressing. Add mushrooms to each sandwich. Add a slice of cheese on top of the mushrooms. Cover the cheese in cabbage. Add one more slice of cheese on top of the cabbage.
5. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place the slices of bread, buttered side down, on the skillet. Add the second slice of bread to the top of the sandwich and place a couple cubes of butter on top of each slice. Put the pan you used to cook the mushrooms or cabbage on top of the sandwiches (unless you have a foil-covered brick or some other cool device).
6. Flip after a few minutes and cook the other side without the pan. The bread should be nice and crusty, and cheese should be melting out the sides.

From Food52.com by Brussels Sprouts for Breakfast, https://food52.com/recipes/11477-vegetarian-reuben